Shipping container



Nov. 21-, 1967 J KANE SHIPPING CONTAINER FIG4A Filed Dec. 6, 1965 FIG?) INVENTOR JAMES T. KANE ATTORNEYS United States Patent of New Jersey Filed Dec. 6, 1965, Ser. No. 511,682 2 Claims. (Cl. 220-67) This invention relates to a lightweight metal shipping container which may also be used as an outer protecting container or outerpack for plastic bottles containing corrosive or chemically active materials.

Shipping containers nowadays are usually transported on pallets or on conveyors, but occasionally a composite container (a steel drum or outerpack and a plastic liner) is rolled diagonally on its chime. The standard chimes do not satisfactorily support the weight and take up shockespecially when the outerpack is made of light gage steel.

The invention provides a tubular chime which may be formed with standard metal barrel manufacturing equipment, such as pre-curlers and seamers, utilizing specially designed wheels to produce the required bends and curls which make up the tubular chime of the invention. An annular four-ply joinder is produced as an inner annular ring structural element of the tubular chime with a twoply convex outer annular unit positioned outwardly thereof. An annular rib extends from the four-ply joinder substantially radially outwardly to and into edge engagement with the inner concave face of the convex outer annular unit. The resultant structure is exceptionally strong and capable of withstanding the severe tests to which metal shipping containers must be subjected before being commerically feasible.

The tubular chime of the instant invention is particularly adapted for use at the bottom of a steel barrel and has been found exceptionally effective in the manufacture of lightweight steel drums of light gage steel, such as 24 gage steel. The barrel may be used for shipment of nonliquid materials and it has been found that with powdered material the tubular chime provides an effective seal against leakage of even the finest powders. Preferably, a resilient gasket material is used when the barrel is to be used for liquids, a suitable gasket material being one which has sufiicient resiliency to compensate for minor movements of the assembled flanges. The gasket material has been found particularly effective in producing a liquid proof joint by applying the gasket material to the parts as they are being formed in a manner such that the internal terminal rib is substantially entirely embedded therein with its edge in firm contact with the inner face of the convex outer annular unit.

These and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the following specification, appended claims and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the tubular chime;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a fully removable head drum with the tubular chime at the bottom edge;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a plastic bottle which can, if desired, be inserted into the drum of FIG. 2 for protected shipment thereof; and

FIGS. 4A and 4B are views showing two locations of initial positioning of the gasket material during formation of the tubular chime.

Drum 15, in FIG. 2, has a cylindrical body 16, a bottom drum head 17 afiixed thereto by a tubular chime 18 formed by the body and head, and a fully removable top head 19. Reinforcing rolling hoops 20 are formed in the wall of the body 16. When utilizing the drum for shipping metal corrosive materials, the plastic liner or bottle 22 is inserted into the lightweight drum 15, thereby providing a protective sheath or outerpack for the plastic bottle; a suitable hood may be provided in the top head 19 for accommodating the top spouts of the bottle 22.

FIG. 1 shows the lower left-hand side of the bottom of the drum 15 with the tubular chime 18 formed by a flange of the body 16 and a flange of the drum head 17.

The cylindrical body 16 has the following annular means extending successively outwardly from its intermediate portion, these being:

(1) A flat first vertical wall 30;

(2) A radially outwardly and downwardly extending lower segment 31 of arcuate radial cross section;

(3) An upwardly extending portion 32 of substantially semicircular radial cross section;

(4) A radially inwardly and downwardly extending upper segment 33 of arcuate radial cross section; and

(5) A downwardly extending second vertical Wall 34.

FIG. 1 shows the drum head having similar successive elements with an added terminal rib, these elements being:

(1) A first vertical wall 40 which is telescoped within said cylindrical body first vertical wall and is in full annular face to face contact therewith;

(2) A substantially right angle bottom segment 41 which underlies and extends below and out of contact with the cylindrical body lower segment 31 leaving an an nular space therebetween for enabling a certain amount of deformation without destroying the structural integrity of the tubular chime;

(3) A member 42 of semicircular radial cross section which completely overlies and is in full annular face to face contact with the substantially similarly curved portion 32 of the cylindrical body;

(4) A substantially right angle top segment 43 which overlies and extends above and out of contact with the related upper segment 33 of the cylindrical body;

(5) A downwardly extending wall 44 which is sandwiched between two elements of the cylindrical body; namely, the wall 34 and the first vertical wall 30; and

(6) The terminal rib 45 which extends substantially radially and slightly downwardly from the horizontal into edge contact with the concave inner face of the semicircular portion 32 of the cylindrical body with its edge 50 firmly contacting the inner face in a somewhat biting fashion.

unit by the elements shown, namely, the second Wall 34 of the cylindrical body, the drum head second wall 44, the cylindrical body first vertical panel 30 and the drum head first vertical wall 40. A two-ply outer annular ring is formed by the semicircular portion 32 and the semicircular member 42. In effect, a six element tubular chime is produced with two of the plys being rigidly positioned with respect to the four plys by means of the terminal rib 45.

Preferably, for liquids, a sealing means 55 is provided in the two spaces defined in part by the inner face of the semicircular portion 32 of the body 16, the space being divided in two by the terminal rib 45, thereby embedding the terminal rib in the sealant material. During formation of the tubular chime, the sealing means 55 may be deposited upon the drum head flange as shown in FIGS. 4A

and 413 as a blob or as a layer respectively, after which it may be joined to the body flange by tubular chime forming equipment.

The elements making up the tubular chime are continuous annular portions.

The tubular chime or seam provides important features significantly superior to structures presently known and available. The tubular seam is designed to allow relative movement to thereby absorb shock and stresses during normal use. The tubular shape deploys the metal in a manner which obtains the greatest section modulus, this producing the greatest resistance to buckling under, consistent with satisfying the other requirements of the seam. The flanges of the cylinder and bottom are interlocked but are not integrated; the interlocking, however, being sufficient to limit relative movement of the parts when the container is subjected to internal pressure or normal handling and also to resist such motion in destructive testingor abusive handling. The interlocking design avoids the need for fastening the flanges together and thereby reduces manufacturing costs and permits the use of like or unlike materials in the bottom and the cylinder. The rounded contour of the tubular seam makes possible the use of high-strength steels which are too brittle to withstand the sharper angles of the well-known flattened double-seams; the concentrated stresses incurred in flattened doubleseams are also eliminated. It has been found in use that the tubular chime through its rounded bottom spreads the effect of abrasion due to vibration against the floor of a vehicle in transit and due to rolling or sliding the container on its chime and thereby reduces the possibility of damage.

Of significant importance is the fact that the tubular seam makes possible the joining of cylinders and bottoms with interior and exterior coatings continuous to the edges of both members. This is particularly important in certain chemical and food uses. Finally, it will be recognized that the sealant can be used to make the tubular chime pressure tight; the sealant can be rigid or resilient. Preferably, the sealant is resilient and conforms to the flexing of the chime. Various manners of injection of a sealant material after the chime has been formed may be used. The method shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B satisfactorily produces a sound fluid-tight seam.

Although the above described tubular chime structure has been described for use at the bottom of a steel barrel, such structure could be used equally well at the top of such barrel or at both the top and bottom of same.

While the invention has been described with reference to certain embodiments, they are to be considered illustrative rather than limiting, and it is intended to cover all further embodiments that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A steel drum comprising a cylindrical body having successively at its lower end :a first vertical wall,

a radially outwardly and downwardly extending lower segment of arcuate radial cross-section,

an upwardly extending portion of substantially semicircular radial cross section,

a radially inwardly and downwardly extending upper segment of arcuate radial cross section, and

a downwardly extending second vertical wall,

a drum head having successively a first vertical wall telescoped within said drum body first vertical Wall and in annular face to face contact therewith,

a substantially right angle bottom segment underlying and extending below and out of contact with said drum body lower segment,

a member of semicircular radial cross section overlying and in annular face to face contact with said drum body semicircular portion,

a substantially right angle top segment overlying and extending above and out of contact with said drum body upper segment,

a downwardly extending vertical wall sandwiched between and in annular face to face engagement with said drum body second vertical wall and said drum body first vertical wall at a location substantially horizontally aligned with said drum head first vertical wall to provide a four-ply joinder, and

a terminal rib extending slightly downwardly from the horizontal into edge contact with the inner face of said drum body semicircular portion.

2. A steel drum as defined in claim 1 and including a sealing means in the spaces defined in part by the inner face of said semicircular portion of said body whereby said terminal rib is embedded in said sealing means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1961 Peerman 220 8l 12/1964 Johnston 220.761 

1. A STEEL DRUM COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL BODY HAVING SUCCESSIVELY AT ITS LOWER END A FIRST VERTICAL WALL, A RADIALLY OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING LOWER SEGMENT OF ARCUATE RADIAL CROSS-SECTION, AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING PORTION OF SUBSTANTIALLY SEMICIRCULAR RADIAL CROSS SECTION, A RADIALLY INWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING UPPER SEGMENT OF ARCUATE RADIAL CROSS SECTION, AND A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING SECOND VERTICAL WALL, A DRUM HEAD HAVING SUCCESSIVELY A FIRST VERTICAL WALL TELESCOPED WITHIN SAID DRUM BODY FIRST VERTICAL WALL AND IN ANNULAR FACE TO FACE CONTACT THEREWITH, A SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT BOTTOM SEGMENT UNDERLYING AND EXTENDING BELOW AND OUT OF CONTACT WITH SAID DRUM BODY LOWER SEGMENT, A MEMBER OF SEMICIRCULAR RADIAL CROSS SECTION OVERLYING AND IN ANNULAR FACE TO FACE CONTACT WITH SAID DRUM BODY SEMICIRCULAR PORTION, A SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLE TOP SEGMENT OVERLYING AND EXTENDING ABOVE AND OUT OF CONTACT WITH SAID DRUM BODY UPPER SEGMENT, 